Streetsweeper brush

ABSTRACT

IN A STREETSWEEPER BRUSH, HAVING A POWER ROTATED CORE, ONE OR MORE ELONGATED HOLLOW TUBULAR INFLATABLE FLEXIBLE MANDRELS MOUNTED ON AND ALONG SAID CORE, AND ONE OR MORE BRISTLE MAT ASSEMBLIES OF SLEEVE FORM MOUNTED ON SAID MANDRELS, PRESSURIZING AND EXPANSION OF SAID MANDRELS AFFIXING SAID MANDRELS TO THE CORE AND TO SAID BRISTLE MAT ASSEMBLIES, THE BRISTLE MAT ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELONGATED STRIP OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, HAVING A SERIES OF PARALLEL ROWS OF SPACED BRISTLE BUNDLES OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, THE BRISTLE EXTENDING DOWN INTO SAID STRIP AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO AND IMBEDDED AND BONDED THERETO.

June 15, 1971 L LECHENE ETAL STREETSWEEPER BRUSH 2 Sheets-Sheet J.

Filed Dec. 1969 FIG. I

INVENTORS LEO LEC H E N E JOHN CAMPBELL BYCtfin FIG?) ATTORNEYS L.LECHENE ET AL 3,584,328

STREETSWEEPER BRUSH June 15, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1969INVENTORS LEO LECHENE JOHN CAMPBELL ATTORNEYS United States Patent US.Cl. 179 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a streetsweeper brush,having a power rotated core, one or more elongated hollow tubularinflatable flexible mandrels mounted on and along said core, and one ormore bristle mat assemblies of sleeve form mounted on said mandrels,pressurizing and expansion of said mandrels afiixing said mandrels tothe core and to said bristle mat assemblies, the bristle mat assemblyincluding an elongated strip of plastic material, having a series ofparallel rows of spaced bristle bundles of plastic material, thebristles extending down into said strip at right angles thereto andimbedded and bonded thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore, in the making of brushes mountedupon power rotated cores, such as used in street sweeping brushes,though not limited thereto, ditficulties have been incountered andproviding bristle supporting assemblies by which said bristle assembliesmay be mounted on the power rotated core in driven relation thereto andwhich may be removed and easily replaced. Various eflorts in thisdirection have been made, mostly accompanied by complicated and involvedstructures difficult to assemble and disassemble.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed topower rotated brushes, and particularly, the street sweeper brush whichhas a conventional tubular core which is power rotated and to which thebristle mat assembly of cylindrical form is immovably and retaininglymounted thereon.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedresilient expansive air pressurized mandrel assembly mountable upon thepower driven core which mounts thereon the present bristle mat assemblyin sleeve form and upon expansion by pressurizing; is self anchoring tothe core and self securing to the bristle mat as sembly.

It is another object to provide an improved street sweeper brush whereinmounted upon the rotatable core there are provided one or a plurality oftubular inflatable mandrels, and mounted upon said mandrels, one or morebristle mat assemblies, each individually formed into cylindrical formwith ends interconnected where by upon pressurizing of the respectivemandrel or mandrels, radial expansion of the said mandrel frictionallyanchors the mandrel to the core and frictionally anchors the bristle matsleeves onto the mandrel.

It is another object to provide improved bristle mat construction forsuch street sweeper brush wherein, bristle mats are formed fromelongated strips of plastic mate rial which have mounted thereon aseries of parallel rows of spaced bristle bundles with the bristlesextending at right angles to the plane of the mat strip while flat andimbedded and bonded thereinto as an integral part thereof.

It is a further object to provide an improved bristle mat and mandrelassembly wherein the said bristle mat construction formed into sleeveform mounts upon its interior a tubular inflatable flexible mandrelwhich is thus self securing upon a power rotated broom core.

3,534,328 Patented June 15, 1971 These and other objects will be seenfrom the followmg specification and claims in conjunction with theappended drawing.

THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of a streetsweeper brush in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a bristle mat assembly before bending intotubular form.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken in the direction of arrows 33 ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken in the direction of arrows 44 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section similar to FIG. 3 showing the presentunit molded bristle mat assembly with integral mandrel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawing, the present streetsweeper brush generally indicated at 11, FIG. 1 is in longitudinalsection for illustration and partly broken away for illustration.

As it is conventional with street sweeper brushes, there is provided apower rotated core or tube support 12 which includes cup shaped endplates 13 secured within the ends of tube 12 as by welding at 14.

In the illustrated form, a pair of axle shafts 15 and 16 axially projectin alignment from the end plates 13, shaft 15 mounting a suitablesprocket 17 for driving said core in a conventional manner.

One or a plurality of tubular resilient inflatable mandrels 18 areloosely positioned upon said core 12 and extend through the lengththereof.

Each mandrel consists of spaced or double walls 19 defining air chamber20. Air inlet 21 connects the mandrel wall for communication with saidair chamber and includes air valve 22. This, provides a means forinflating said mandrels utilizing pressures up to and in the range of 60pounds per square inch approximately, though not limited thereto.

Inflatable mandrels of this type are presently available on the marketand are sold by B. F. Goodrich of Akron, Ohio, and possibly others.

One or a plurality of bristle mat assemblies in the sleeve form areslidably positioned over the respective mandrels such as shown at 23,FIG. 1. Said bristle mat assembly sleeves are of such length as tonormally correspond with and register and overlie the correspondinginflatable mandrel 18, FIG. 1.

Bristle mat retainer end plates 24 are centrally apertured so as toloosely overlie the axle shafts 15 and 16, and engage and are secured tothe respective core end plates 13.

Outer peripheral portions of said retainer end plates cooperatively andretainingly engage portions of the bristles 26 of adjacent bristlebundles 25 which form a part of the bristle mat assembly.

On pressurizing of the mandrel 18 by application of air pressure throughthe fitting 21-22, there is provided radial inward expansion of theinner wall of the mandrel as at 27 whereby said mandrel frictionallygrips the ad jacent portions of core 12 and is adapted to transmittorque therefrom on power rotation of said core.

Upon pressurizing of said mandrel, there is additionally radial outwardforces as shown at 28 by which the outer wall 19 of the mandreloperatively and retainingly and expansively engages interior wall of thebristle mat assembly sleeve for effectively securing the same upon themandrel and for use on power rotation of the broom core assembly, FIG.1.

Each bristle mat assembly includes an elongated plastic strip 29 such asmade of polypropylene or similar plastic material and as shown in FIGS.2 and 3 is initially molded into a flat strip into a bristle matassembly generally indicated at 30 and which includes a plurality ofparallel spaced rows of spaced bristle bundles 25. Each bundle includesa plurality of plastic bristles 26 which extend at right angles to theplastic strip 29 and are embedded down into said strip and molded andbonded thereto as an integral part during the/ or after the moldingoperation.

The detail of the construction of the bristle mat assembly is describedwith illustrative apparatus in our copending patent application, Ser.No. 881,530 entitled, Bristle Mat Assembly for Brushes and Method ofManufacture executed on even date with the present application.

In the form molding operation of the bristle mat assembly, theconstruction of a mold is such that there surrounds each of the bristlebundles 25 at its base a sleeve 31 which is bonded not only to thebristles adjacent thereto but to the bristle mat strip 29 as an integralpart thereof.

This sleeve strengthens the securing of the bristle ends within thestrip 29, it being noted that the bristles actually extend down throughthe body of the strip 29 and are bonded thereto.

The preferred plastic material employed for the bristles as well as thestrip is polypropylene for illustration though other equivalent plasticscould be employed.

The bristle mat assembly 30, FIGS. 2 and 3 when used is formed into acylindrical sleeve as shown at 23, FIG. 4, for mounting over mandrel 18.

In the molding operation for the bristle mat assembly 30, FIGS. 2 and 3,a row of spaced apertures are formed across the respective ends of strip29, FIG. 2, with one set of end apertures receiving grommets 31 and theother set of apertures receiving fastener hooks 32, the said grommetsand fastener hooks being adapted for assembly separately onto the strip,or secured thereto during the molding and forming operation.

This provides one means by which the bristle mat assembly strip may bebent into cylindrical shape with its ends in engagement andinterconnected using the grommets 31 and hooks 32.

It is contemplated that other means may be employed for interconnectingthe registering end portions of strip 29 such as shown for illustrationin FIG. 4.

A series of elongated transverse and parallel spaced channels 33 areformed across the strip 29 leaving within the said strip therebelow aseries of flex hinges 34 to facilitate bending of the strip into thesleeve form of FIG. 4.

Modification A modified bristle mat assembly is shown at 35, FIG. whichis of a construction almost the same as that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3except that there is provided a mandrel assembly 36 of double wallconstruction as shown at 37 and including air chamber 38 which may bepressurized by air inlet 39 and associated air valve 40.

Accordingly, instead of the separate mandrels employed such as shown inFIG. 1 to which the bristle mats are separately applied for securingthereon, a mandrel assembly as shown in FIG. 5 is formed as an integralpart of the bristle mat assembly.

In use the bristle mat assembly 35 with associated mandrel assembly 36is formed into a sleeve such as shown in FIG. 4 with the respective endsagain interconnected such as by the grommets or hooks or other means,after which the mandrel is inflated to the correct pressure in the areaof 60 pounds per square inch, though not limited thereto.

By this construction, the radial expansive forces exerted by the mandrelassembly will serve to frictionally anchor the bristle mat assembly andmandrel upon and 4 along the surface of the power driven core 12 such asshown in FIGS; 1 and 4. V 7

Where a series of mandrels are employed as units end to end such asshown in FIG. 1, there is designated at 41 a conduit means which couldbe the same as the air inlet pipe 21 by which the interiors of adjacentmandrels are interconnected. Accordingly, when air pressure is appliedto the outer mandrel adjacent the air valve 22, there will bepressurized all of the additionally series connected mandrels such asshown in FIG. 1.

While a series of tubular mandrels are illustrated in FIG. 1, it iscontemplated that one continuous mandrel could be applied to the powerrotated broom core 12, if desired. Accordingly, the power brush couldthus be made up of a single inflatable mandrel to which a series ofbristle mat assemblies could be applied end to end and axially tocomplete the brush construction and with the bristle mat assembliesimmovably secured in place upon pressurizing of the respective mandrelor mandrels.

FIG. 5 bristle mat and mandrel assembly 35 is shown as a double walledconstruction at 37 with air chamber 38, applied to the under surface ofthe strip 29. Alternately, as a part of the present construction, themandrel may be in the nature of a single wall structure such as shown at37 with peripheral portions sealed or otherwise connected to the undersurface adjacent peripheral portions of the strip 29 which still definethe inflatable air chamber 38.

Having described our invention, reference should now be had to thefollowing claims.

We claim: 1. In a street sweeper brush having a tubular power rotatedcore within axle supports;

the improvement comprising an elongated hollow tubular inflatable andflexible torque transmitting mandrel loosely overlying said core andhaving an air chamber adapted to receive air under pressure;

and a bristle mat assembly of sleeve form axially mounted over and alongsaid mandrel;

pressurizing said mandrel effecting radial inward forces frictionallyconnecting said mandrel and core, and radial outward forces between saidmandrel and bristle mat assembly.

2. In the brush of claim 1, said bristle mat assembly including anelongated plastic strip of rectangular shape in plan;

cooperable fastening means on the opposite ends of said strip, wherebysaid strip is adapted to be bent into cylindrical form upon said mandrelwith its opposite ends in registry and interconnected;

and a series of spaced rows of longitudinally spaced plastic bristlebundles overlying one side of said strip, the bristles of each bundle attheir one ends being immovably imbedded into said strip and extending atright angles thereto.

3. In the brush of claim 2, said strip and bristle ends being molded andfused together.

4. In the brush of claim 2, said strip and bristle ends being made ofpolypropylene.

5. In the brush of claim 2, said fastening means including atransversely extending row of apertures extending through end portionsof said strip at its opposite ends;

apertured grommets extending through the apertures at one end of thestrip and hooks connected into the apertures at the other end, adaptedfor interlocking registry with said grommets.

6. In the brush of claim 2, a bristle supporting sleeve surrounding eachbristle bundle, retainingly engaging and supporting the bristle endportion of each bundle bonded to said bristles and to the strip.

7. In the brush of claim 1, said mandrel being coexten sive with saidbristle mat assembly and bonded and secured thereto, said bristle matassembly providing one wall of the mandrel.

8. In the brush of claim 1, said mandrel being of hollow double Walledresilient construction underlying and secured to said bristle matassembly throughout its engaging surfaces, and a valved air inletconnected to said mandrel.

9. In the brush of claim 1, there being at least one additional mandrelmounted on said core;

and a corresponding additional bristle mat assembly of sleeve formaxially mounted on each additional mandrel.

10. In the brush of claim 9, conduit means between said mandrelsinterconnecting their chambers respectively, whereby air pressuresupplied to one mandrel chamber communicates air pressure to theadditional mandrel chambers.

11. In the brush of claim 1, there being a plurality of said mandrelsmounted end to end upon said core;

a corresponding additional bristle mat assembly mounted on eachadditional mandrel;

and conduit means between said mandrels interconnecting their adjacentchambers respectively, whereby air pressure supplied to one mandrelchamber communicates air pressure to the additional mandrel chambers.

12. In the brush of claim 1, said core comprising an References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,176,309 10/1939 Love et a1. 15l10UX 2,190,1452/1940 Braden 15-179UX 2,215,692 9/1940 Fleming 15DIG. 2 2,447,9668/1948 Stephens 15104.06 3,329,986 6/1967 Hackworth 15179 3,357,03812/1967 Williamson et a1. 15-183 FOREIGN PATENTS 834,598 5/1960 GreatBritain 15--179 PETER FELDMAN, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 15-187,201

